The silver gateway closed behind them.
Silence.
Not the peaceful silence of home.
A silence so complete that even the sound of their footsteps seemed to disappear.
Zayden opened his eyes.
The sky wasn't blue.
It shimmered with rivers of light flowing between floating islands that drifted endlessly through the air.
Mountains hung upside down.
Waterfalls poured upward into glowing clouds.
Entire cities floated without touching the ground.
Aria stared in amazement.
"...It's beautiful."
The Keeper smiled faintly.
"Welcome to the Second Layer."
Lucien would have called it impossible.
Zayden simply asked,
"How many people live here?"
"About four billion."
Zayden blinked.
"So... another world."
The Keeper nodded.
"Every Layer is a complete universe."
A breeze carried unfamiliar voices across the sky.
Not one language.
Hundreds.
Some human.
Some entirely unknown.
Aria noticed travelers crossing glowing bridges between islands.
People with silver eyes.
Children with crystal-like wings.
Merchants selling objects that floated on their own.
No one seemed surprised to see them.
"They're used to visitors?"
The Keeper nodded.
"Travel between neighboring Layers is rare... but not unheard of."
As they walked through the bustling streets of the floating capital, a large clock tower chimed.
Everyone stopped.
Every person looked toward the sky.
A crack appeared among the glowing clouds.
The smiles vanished.
A guard shouted,
"The Veil is weakening!"
The Keeper's expression hardened.
"We're too late."
The crack spread wider.
Darkness leaked through it like ink spilled across glass.
The vibrant colors of the sky dimmed.
Flowers wilted.
The floating rivers slowed.
People began running.
"What is happening?" Aria asked.
The Keeper answered quietly.
"The Null King's influence."
A child cried as a toy faded from her hands.
Not broken.
Erased.
Zayden stepped forward.
"Can he reach this world already?"
"Not fully."
"But every Layer he touches begins to forget itself."
The city's bells rang continuously.
From the palace, soldiers poured into the streets.
Leading them was a woman in white armor carrying a spear of blue crystal.
She stopped in front of the newcomers.
Her sharp emerald eyes settled on Zayden.
"You..."
She frowned.
"The Free Anchor."
Zayden looked surprised.
"You know who I am?"
"We've heard the stories."
A pause.
"We just prayed they were true."
She lowered her spear.
"My name is Captain Lyra Valen."
"I command the Sky Guard."
She looked toward the growing darkness.
"If you've truly broken a cycle..."
Her voice became firm.
"Then help us save ours."
Before Zayden could answer...
A deep, echoing laugh rolled across the sky.
Every light in the city flickered.
A giant silhouette formed inside the crack.
Not the Null King.
Just his shadow.
Yet its presence alone made the floating islands tremble.
A voice echoed through the heavens.
> "Another Layer still clinging to hope..."
The darkness spread farther.
> "How disappointing."
The people below froze in terror.
Zayden stepped in front of them.
His silver compass glowed brightly.
He looked up at the shadow.
Then smiled.
"You'll have to do better than a shadow."
The silhouette became still.
Then...
It laughed.
> "Excellent."
> "I wanted to meet the man who broke the first cycle."
The crack widened.
And a black hand began reaching into the Second Layer.
---